Faith Schools

[northernmonkey25]

I'm a first time poster so go easy on me! Firstly, well done mumsnet for your good show on More 4's documentary last night.
This post in fact directly relates to the same question posed on that documentary.

I'm writing a book at the moment about my experience of teaching in a faith school (C of E) when I myself am an atheist. I need your help for a chapter of my book about people send children to faith schools.

Did you send your child(ren) to a faith school because of your religion? Was it because it was simply the closest school? Did league tables affect choice? How easy was it to get your child into the school?

If your answer is a mixture, which is the over-riding factor?

Thanks again in advance!

(I think my wife hovers around these boards, we're expecting our first in November! Can't wait!)

My youngest child attended a faith school principally because I teach there! Prior to that both sons attended our local non faith school simply because it was the closest.

I think you need to put this under media requests and pay a small fee.

Mine went to c of e school infants as it was the nearest. I didn't even look round it.
However, did not send ds to c of e junior as I was not impressed with some of the teaching.

DD2 went to a C of E primary. I'm lapsed Catholic and DH is Jewish. Getting her into the school was no problem, we sent her there as it had a high number of 11plus passes. I don't think religion figured highly on any parents agenda.

I am Christian, my DCs go to C of E primary. They do not go to C of E secondary out of choice. Ethos is important, but so are results and the other children there.

dd goes to a CofE school and ds will follow in time. We are not CofE, I was brought up and educated RC but don't really follow a faith now, dh stays away from it all.
We send our dc to the school because we live in a village and it is the only school, we would have to travel over half an hour to get to a non faith school and would struggle to get a place if we wanted to as would be out of catchment.
We had no problem getting into the school as we are in the village and due to it being the only school reasonably available they don't but faith at the top of the list, faith only comes into play way way down the list past siblings, catchment, siblings not in catchment, it would only be after that if by chance there was a space left would it come into play, an out of catchment child who was CofE would get the place rather then one who wasn't, as far as I know this has never happened, it is a very good over subscribed school, places are always filled from catchment and non catchment siblings.
The school knows that a a great number of their pupils are not CofE, it is a school with a christion ethos but I have never felt this is shoved in your face, it is there but somewhat in the background, I think this is often the case in village schools, most are church schools historicly and also funding and keeping village schools going is not something the state seems to want to do as most are very small schools. The lack of choice about sending your child to a faith school is reflected in the way the school is run IME.

have you read this thread?
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/primary/1013223-Starting-C-of-E-primary?pg=1

Any book based on anecdotal evidence as this is likely to be poor.
The ethics about writing a book about the school you work in is also questionable.